Freaked Out
by Sixty Five Roses
Summary: Based on one of the season 4 promos that were released earlier today. Rusty gives Sharon several reaosns to freak out.
1. Chapter 1

"Promise that you won't get freaked out," he said and Sharon grinned internally. Rusty always spoke to her as if she hasn't raised two kids before him and already heard all the crazy and ridiculous things teenagers and young adults could do . Freaking out was something she never recalled doing.

"When have you ever seen me freaked out?" she asked with a smirk as she crossed her arms in front of her body.

"Well, okay then…" Rusty said and Sharon could tell he felt uneasy. "Do you remember Chad?" The name sounded familiar, but Sharon couldn't think of a specific Chad both she and Rusty knew.

"Not really, no," she replied and Rusty sighed.

"Chad the bodyguard?" Rusty said.

"Is that a television show?" Sharon wondered, realizing that he probably met some celebrity in College and had the chance to speak to him. It would not be unusual in LA.

"No, he works here, Sharon. Chad Stuart?"

"Oh, you mean Officer Stuart from SOB?" Sharon asked. Since Phillip Stroh escaped, Rusty spent quite some time with Officers Stuart and Perez. It made perfect sense that he would address them by their first names.

"Yes, that Chad," he replied excitedly.

"What about him?" It seemed that Rusty found good friends in the two members of his security detail and Sharon was glad he had some friends who were a little closer to his age than the squad.

"Well, a few weeks ago I… um… I asked him out and he said yes," Sharon's eyebrows arched as the words came out of her son's mouth. "And we've been dating for almost a month now, so I thought you should know about it."

"Umm… isn't Chad a bit too old for you?" Sharon didn't really need Rusty to answer that. Chad was older than Jeff. Chad was almost 30. Chad was dating her 19 years old son. And that was definitely a reason to freak out. But she couldn't let Rusty know that.

"Well, yeah, but… you know age doesn't always matter," Rusty replied, and his eyes looked everywhere but at her.

"Hmm," it was one of those hums that Rusty could never decipher, but by the blank expression on her face and the way she also avoided his gaze, he could tell that the news were anything but pleasing for her. "Have you discussed this with Dr. Joe?"

"I did, as a matter of fact," Rusty replied.

"And did he offer his perspective on the subject?"

"No, is he supposed to? I mean, I'm an adult and I can make these decisions on my own, you know. I think Dr. Joe knows that," Rusty stressed the last part of the sentence.

"Yes, no, of course, that's not what I meant, Rusty. It's just… I'm concerned that… when you get involved with someone who…" She paused and took a deep breath. "Chad is supposed to be protecting you from Phillip Stroh. It means that his relationship with you stands in a conflict with his job and that worries me."

"He's not taking advantage of me, if that's what you're trying to say," Rusty said defensively. "We have feelings, you know, for each other."

"I was not trying to say that he was taking advantage of you, Rusty. I am trying to say that his relationship with you is supposed to be a professional one and how should I trust him now to protect you when your relationship is a personal one?" Sharon found it a bit difficult to articulate her thoughts.

"What do you even mean by that? It doesn't change anything!"

"I mean that remaining professional and do the task he was assigned to might not be possible for him anymore. If a situation arises where Stroh has a chance to harm you, Chad may not be able to think professionally. Do you see what I'm saying?"

"It's not much different than you and Andy," Rusty quipped.

"It is, and Andy and I are just friends," Sharon replied. Rusty hummed mockingly. Sharon leaned against the wall and let out a deep sigh.

"Sharon?" Rusty could see the expressions on her face changing quickly from fear to love, to anger, to worry. Eventually, she looked straight into his eyes and he could see the raw emotion in her gaze.

"I'm a little freaked out," she admitted.

"I was a little freaked out too, when I realized that I like Chat more than I should," Rusty said and offered her a comforting smile.

"I'm happy for you, Rusty, I am; you know that, right?" Rusty nodded slowly. "And if you're serious about him, then we will have to consider the possibility of assigning Chad to a different task and appointing someone else in his stead in order to ensure your safety."

"Is it really necessary?" Rusty whined.

"Probably," Sharon sighed. She hated doing this to Rusty. "But it doesn't mean he can't come over. In fact, I'd like it very much if you asked him to join us for dinner tomorrow night."

"Really?" Rusty's eyes lighted up and Sharon nodded and smiled. "You're gonna grill him, don't you?" his face became serious when he realized what the dinner invitation was for.

"Not more than I grilled Emily's first boyfriend or Ricky's first girlfriend," Sharon grinned.

"Did they survive your inquisition?" Rusty wondered.

"Not really, but Chad is a SWAT officer, so I'm sure he won't be too scarred by the experience," Sharon smirked.

"Okay, I'll ask Chad to come over for dinner, but I have one condition," Rusty said.

"Which is…"

"The night after tomorrow, you invite Andy and I get to grill him too." Rusty's words made Sharon groan in frustration. "Don't even bother saying that the two of you are not dating, because I know he spent the night at least once!"

"Wha… he did not!"

"He did, and he forgot his favorite tie in our laundry humper." Sharon closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

"Just so you know, he slept on the couch," she informed him.

"So you'll invite him over?" Rusty asked with a triumphant smile.

"Alright, but you're cooking!" Sharon replied. Rusty shrugged. He never minded cooking anyway. Taking a step closer, Sharon wrapped her arms around her son and drew him close to her. "You know that all I want is for you to be safe and happy, right?" she asked and her voice was thick with emotion.

"And I want the same for you, Sharon. You deserve that," Rusty replied. "And you don't have to hide the things or the people that make you happy." He could tell by her sniffle that she was holding back tears.

"Neither do you," Sharon replied as she stepped away from him. They looked into each other's eyes and smiled at each other simultaneously.

"You know, I'm a little terrified about tomorrow night," Rusty's smile turned into a soft grin.

"And I'm about the night after tomorrow," Sharon replied. She really had no idea what Rusty was going to ask Andy and whether or not he would give him a hard time.

"Oh, I can assure you, it's gonna be grand!" Rusty winked at her just before he turned around and walked away, leaving her standing in the hall. Walking back to her office, she felt her stomach flutter. Closing the blinds and shutting the door, she covered her mouth with her palm and allowed herself to freak out.

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 **As always, I'd love to hear what you though about this story, so feel free to leave a review or send me a PM.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N : Due to popular demand, I decided to add 2 chapters with the dinners with Chad and Andy, respectively. **

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Sharon watched Rusty pacing back and forth around the living room, his hands shoved into his jeans pockets and his eyes on the floor. Placing a bowl of salad on the dinner table, she smiled to herself. She could tell Rusty was very serious about Chad and was worried whether or not Chad would pass the test of being grilled by her during their dinner. With Emily and Ricky it was a fairy easy task for her; she really cared about them being honest and respectful of their first partners. In Rusty's case, things were much more complicated and she wished Rusty could understand that having this conversation with Chad was not as easy and fun for her as he thought. The doorbell rang and Rusty nearly jumped through the ceiling before he went to open it. Sharon rounded the corner and stood a few steps behind Rusty as they both greeted Chad.

"Good evening, Captain," Chad said and Sharon shrugged.

"In here I'm simply Sharon," she smiled warmly. Chad wore a suit and a tie and Sharon could tell that he felt overdressed.

"This is for you," he said and handed her a colorful bouquet of gerbera daisies.

"Thank you, Chad, they're beautiful," Sharon said and took the flowers from him. "Dinner is almost ready. Can I offer you a drink in the meantime?"

"I don't drink," Chad replied and Sharon smiled to herself as she went to the kitchen to find a vase for the flowers.

"Not even water?" she smirked and she didn't have to look at Rusty in order to know that her words made him cringe.

"I thought you meant alcohol," Chad replied honestly. "I don't drink alcohol. At all." Sharon hummed in response.

"Why don't the two of you have a seat at the table?" she asked after checking on the roast chicken and seeing that it was ready. Rusty took Chad's hand and led him to the dinner table, indicating their seats. Sharon carefully took the roast out of the oven and brought it to the table.

"This looks amazing," Chad said as Sharon placed the roast in the middle of the table. He got up to pull the chair for her.

"Thank you," Sharon smiled at him warmly and then at Rusty.

"So… um…" Rusty started awkwardly as he got up to cut the roast. "Who wants some chicken?" Sharon grinned softly and let him place a slice of the roast in her plate. Then she scooped some rice and poured some gravy over it.

"Rice, Chad?" she offered and Chad nodded. After filling everyone's plates, Sharon smiled to herself as she listened to Chad and Rusty discuss some television show she knew nothing about. She watched the both of them as they conversed; Rusty's entire face was lit up and he seemed to be immensely enjoying Chad's articulate analysis of some of the plots. "So Chad," she started when the conversation subsided.

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied.

"As I'm sure Rusty already told me, there are a few issues that I'd like to clarify," Sharon said. Since Rusty told her about his relationship with Chad, she thought a lot of what she wanted to ask him and how she wanted to approach specific subjects.

"Yes, he told me," Chad confirmed. "You can ask anything you want, Ma'am." Sharon nodded and looked at Rusty for a moment. She wanted to make it as easy for him as possible.

"I assume you're almost 30 years old, right?" she started and she could see Rusty's horrified expression. Chad nodded. "You are aware that Rusty has just turned 19 a couple of months ago, are you?" Chad nodded again. "And that age difference, does it not bother you?"

"Well, Ma'am, normally I prefer dating men my age, but Rusty is a sweet, caring and intelligent guy and I have feelings for him that I did not expect to develop when I was first assigned to his security detail," Chad replied.

"I see, and when the two of you go out, where do you go and who do you go with?" Sharon inquired.

"We mostly spend time together at my house, watch television, talk, and stuff like that. I wish it would be safer for him to go in public more often, but until Phillip Stroh is caught, we're spending time indoors."

"I'm glad you're mindful of Rusty's situation," Sharon smiled softly. "I know Rusty is going to hate me, but I have to say this," she threw a quick glance at Rusty and then turned to Chad. "I hope you respect Rusty's boundaries and that his safety is not only important to you where Phillip Stroh is concerned, but also in your relationship."

"Sharon!" Rusty looked at her with anger and embarrassment, his eyes wide and his face red. She could feel the heat of his glare on the skin of her face. Chad swallowed hard and Sharon noticed the rosiness that spread unevenly across his face.

"I… uh, we… Rusty and I are not at that stage yet, but I assure you that I do understand the importance of… being safe and respectful." A wave of self-pride swept over her and she smiled at Chad sweetly.

"I sure hope so," she said and the SWAT officer nearly chocked. She had a feeling that Rusty will make her pay for it when he gets a chance to grill Andy. "Okay, so here are some ground rules," she started.

"Rules again?" Rusty called out.

"Yes, rules again," she replied.

"Every time the two of you spend time together, I want to know where you are. I expect that you will stay alert at all times and that you report to me of any suspicious person or occurrence that may affect Rusty's safety. You are more than welcome to spend time together in here. Chad, whenever the two of you are in the car – you drive."

"Really?" Rusty protested.

"I trust his driving skills more than I do yours," Sharon admitted with a smirk.

"Come on," her son groaned.

"She has a point, Rusty. You drive like a nutcase," Chad smiled.

"Hey, that's not fair!"

"Last rule," Sharon returned to the subject in hand. "I think we should consider your reassignment to a different task, in order to maintain Rusty's safety."

"I'm willing to do that, Ma'am, but Perez might start crying," Chad responded.

"Don't worry. I'll supply your partner with enough Kleenex to last him a year," Sharon joked.

"Or better yet, make his next partner a female and he'll be thrilled," Chad suggested.

"Oh my God, the LAPD has turned into a matchmaking agency," Sharon's groan elicited a laughter from both Rusty and Chad. "Dessert?" Sharon offered when the boys' laughter subsided.

"Yes, thank you," Chad replied.

"Rusty said you like cheesecake, so I tried a new recipe," Sharon said as she picked up the dinner plates and took them in the sink while Rusty brought the dessert plates.

"Can I help?" Chad asked but Sharon waved as she opened the fridge door and took the cheesecake out. She walked to the dinner table and placed it in front of Chad and Rusty. "It looks amazing," Chad said and Sharon noticed how his eyes widened at the sight of the cake. _Men, just show them food and they become children again,_ she thought and couldn't help the amused smile that spread across her face. She cut a piece of the cake and placed it on a dessert plate, handing it to Chad, then repeated the action and handing the plate to Rusty before cutting a smaller piece for herself. "Oh, my God, this is amazing!" Chad sighed and Sharon smiled at Rusty, who looked very content at seeing his boyfriend enjoying the cake so much. Seeing her son looking so radiant made Sharon's heart expand with joy. Rather than sulking at the fact that he had to endure months of violated privacy due to Stroh's escape, he was making the best out of his situation and Sharon was proud at him for that. Seeing him happy and thriving despite the darkness that kept threatening his life was so inspiring; Sharon wished she had that kind of courage when she was younger. Under worse circumstances, Rusty was more in control of his life than she was when she still dealt with Jack's destructive behavior. She had allowed a sick person to govern her life, and Rusty chose to not let an even sicker man change his path towards happiness. Sharon found it admirable. "It's getting late, I should head out," Chad's voice brought Sharon out of her reverie. He pushed his chair back and then got up, followed by Rusty and Sharon. "Thank you for this wonderful dinner, Ma'am," he said and stretched out his hand towards her. She shook it with a smile.

"It was a pleasure to have you here, Chad, and I hope to see you again sometime soon," she said warmly. He wished her good night and she let Rusty walk him to the door as she carried the dessert plates to the kitchen. She heard Rusty and Chad exchanging a few words and then a short silence spread before she heard the door being shut and locked. Several moments later, Rusty emerged in the kitchen.

"Thank you, Sharon," he said and started placing the dirty plates and cutlery in the dishwasher. "For being understanding about this whole situation."

"It's my pleasure, Rusty. There's nothing I want more than for you to be happy," Sharon smiled. "And Chad is a really nice guy. I hope he'll be good to you."

"He already is, Sharon," Rusty replied softly.

"I'm glad to hear that," She said and took a couple of mugs from the cupboard. "Hot chocolate?" she offered. Rusty nodded. "And another piece of cake, maybe?"

"You're being too nice, Sharon," Rusty stopped handling the dishes and looked at her.

"Am I? No, not really," Sharon replied sweetly.

"Yes, you are. And while I would still like another piece of cake and some hot chocolate, it's not gonna get you out of inviting Andy for dinner tomorrow. There were a few questions you asked tonight that I'm just dying to ask Andy," he teased.

"Everything I asked was in order to ensure your safety," Sharon argued.

"Not gonna help you now," Rusty grinned.

"Oh, God!" Sharon sighed deeply.

"Not sure he can help you either," Rusty teased. Sharon rolled her eyes and cut a piece of the cheesecake for Rusty, placing it in one of the dessert plates. She was trapped, and poor Andy just didn't know what was waiting for him. She'd have to prepare him, and herself for that matter. She felt like laughing and crying at the same time. She felt like jumping off the balcony. She knew Rusty couldn't tell by looking at her, but she was freaking out, badly.

TBC

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 **As always, I'd love to hear what you though about this story, so feel free to leave a review or send me a PM.**


	3. Chapter 3

The rhythmic tapping of the pen against paper made it difficult for Sharon to concentrate on the report she was reading. This would have been easy to solve, if only it wasn't her that was creating that noise. And she would have stopped, if she could control it. After taking a deep breath, she put the pen down and closed her eyes, reminding herself that allowing Rusty to question Andy was important in order to establish trust between her son and the man she was romantically involved with. Sure, they knew each other, but being a friend of the family and being the closest thing to a father Rusty could have were two different things. Not that she and Andy were that far into their relationship, but there was always a chance that this would happen one day, and she needed to put Rusty's mind at ease, especially after he allowed her to pry into his relationship with Chad.

The smell of Rusty delicious cooking reached her nose and she took another deep breath, feeling her stomach grumbling. For the first time that day, she became aware of the fact that she didn't get the chance to eat anything since the morning; her body was running solely on coffee. Rusty was a talented cook and she wouldn't mind at all if he became a chef one day. She thought he would actually be great at it.

The doorbell rang and she pushed the file that she was reading aside and went to open it. Andy was standing there, wearing a dark purple dress shirt that matched her dress under his grey suit. It was really odd how they almost always chose the same colors when they dressed to go anywhere. They never coordinated it in advance, but somehow it still kept happening. She knew her team was joking about that behind their backs, but their color choices were always completely accidental, as hard as it might have been for anyone to believe.

"Hi," she said awkwardly. "You, um, look great."

"So do you," Andy replied and wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her for a hug. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck and she closed her eyes, enjoying the pleasant security of his arms. She planted a soft kiss on his lips as she pulled away. "Don't be nervous. He's a good kid," he whispered in her ear. She nodded slowly. "I brought you something," he smiled at her and placed a decorative paper bag in her hand.

"Thank you, Andy." Sharon smiled, "You didn't have to, though."

"I wanted to," he captured her lips for a brief kiss. "I hope it's the brand you like." Sharon took his gift out of the bag. It was a beautiful candle set and a decorative lighter.

"It is, Andy, thank you. It's great." She was constantly amazed with how he always seemed to notice all the tiny details, such as the way she ate only one pancake, the type of tea she preferred when she was nervous, and the kind of candles she usually bought.

"I'm glad you're happy with it," he stepped into the living room and let her take his jacket.

"Hi Andy!" they heard Rusty's voice from the kitchen.

"Hi Kid! How are you doing?" Andy responded.

"Fine. Dinner is almost ready, you guys can sit." Andy's fingers laced with Sharon's as they walked to the dinner table that was already set. Some the food Rusty cooked was already there.

"Rusty made sure everything is vegetarian," Sharon said proudly as Andy pulled a chair for her, allowing his hand to linger at the small of her back as she sat down.

"Thanks, Rusty, I appreciate it," Andy smiled as Rusty placed a dish in the center of the table.

"It's my pleasure. I like experimenting in the kitchen. It's fun," Rusty responded as he took a seat. "So, um, these are eggplant rolls filled with cream cheese and pesto, and this here is gnocchi with Rosé sauce. And that, over there is antipasto and this is cherry tomato salad with pine nuts and balsamic vinegar." Rusty explained, pointing at each of the dishes as he spoke.

"Sharon, you didn't have to make the kid cook all my favorite dishes…" Andy spoke to her affectionately.

"I didn't. He came up with all of this on his own," Sharon looked at Rusty proudly and it made him blush a little.

"Thank you, Rusty. This really is my favorite food," Andy said and Rusty's face became even more flushed. They filled their plates and ate in awkward silence when Andy finally took the reins and looked at Rusty. "So, umm, kid. I understand that you wanted to practice your interrogation skills, eh?" he asked. Rusty swallowed a slice of eggplant and took a big gulp of his water before he responded with a nod. "I'm ready," Andy smiled and look at Sharon, who had a worried expression on her face. He reached out and caressed the back of her hand soothingly.

"Okay, then," Rusty said and inhaled deeply. "So, you're a recovering alcoholic, and since both Sharon and I had our share of dealing with other people's addictions in our lives I wondered, how do you know that you'll never drink again?"

"That's a great question, Rusty, and the answer is, I don't. I've been sober for 20 years now and I want to believe that I will have the mental strength to continue staying sober for the rest of my life. Being sober for so many years doesn't always make it less of a fight, but I have lost so much because of my addiction and I am making all the efforts to fix the damage I've done to my relationships with my children and be a better father for them, so I definitely don't plan on ruining it all." Sharon moved uncomfortably in her seat, but didn't say anything as she listened to Andy's answer for Rusty. She didn't want to think about the possibility that Andy will ever relapse, but her recent dealings with Jack had taught her that falling off the wagon after years of sobriety was always a possibility.

"And when you were drunk, were you ever violent?" Rusty asked.

"No. I was a mean drunk, sometimes verbally offensive, but never laid my finger on anyone," Andy replied and Sharon took a long gulp of her water.

"Okay," Rusty said and threw a quick glance at Sharon. "So… um, your relationship with Sharon… Are you in it for the thrill of dating your boss or are you really serious about it?"

"Definitely serious about her, kid. Listen, Sharon may not know this, but I was always a little physically attracted to her before I got to know what kind of person she was. And when we started working together, I realized that being Sharon's friend is something that I truly enjoy. And after a while, I started feeling that being just friends wasn't enough and I wanted more, but I realized that Sharon needed time, and the more I waited for her, the stronger my feelings for her became, so I can tell you without a doubt that I love this woman and I'm in it for the long ride." Rusty narrowed his eyes when he looked at Andy before he decided that Andy's answer sounded true genuine.

"So, does that, like, mean that you might wanna marry Sharon one day?" Rusty wondered.

"It's a tough question, Rusty," Andy replied. "I'd like to believe that we'll reach a certain point where we would want to spend the rest of our lives together, but I don't know if marriage will be the path we would choose, and as you know, it's not only up to me here." He caught Sharon's horrified gaze and smiled at her, gently squeezing her hand. "When the time comes, we'll discuss it." Sharon nodded in approval, but Andy could still see traces of utter terror in her green eyes. Rusty's line of questioning was certainly making things hard for her. Sharon was always a hard nut to crack and didn't open up easily, not even to the people she loved and trusted. It took Andy a long time to realize that the Sharon beneath the layers of protection was not as serene and figured out as she seemed to be. Her inner world was chaotic, complex and full of petrifying fears and wounds that never healed properly. Sharing her personal thoughts and worries with him was something she was yet to do and he hoped that one day she would trust him enough to invite him into that world. He could tell that Rusty's questions were touching raw nerves for Sharon and he hoped the kid will go easier on him for Sharon's sake. But then again, it appeared as if Rusty was asking these questions for Sharon's sake.

"Alright," Rusty said and looked at Sharon again. By the way she moved and breathed, Andy could tell that she became even tenser than she was before, and he hoped that she'll let him rub her back after dinner. "Have you ever cheated on anyone?"

"Rusty," Sharon's voice was slightly high pitched in a way that made her sound panicked.

"It's okay, Sharon. It's a fair question," Andy responded and squeezed her hand again. He had a feeling that she was getting a lot of information she didn't even want to know. Andy knew she found it comfortable to ignore his past and the ways it was similar to hers. Dealing with an addict husband, being a single parent, being cheated by Jack – Andy knew so well what Jack had put her through. He had put his own ex-wife through some of the same things as well, but contrary to Jack, he always supported his children, he tried to stay in contact with them, and unlike Jack, he was a faithful husband. Andy could still remember the days back when he and Jack were drinking buddies. Jack almost always ended up with a woman at the end of the night and even after Andy sobered up, there were still rumors passing down the grapevine of that 'FID Bitch, who's so cold that her husband has to screw other girls'. Back then, he thought she deserved it, but he didn't know her as well as he did now. He didn't know that Jack had left her as soon as he found out she was pregnant for the second time; that before he disappeared, he emptied their bank account and left her penniless; that he didn't even see his son until he was nearly two years old; that Sharon took him back time after time after time in hopes that 'this time he will be there for his family'. And he assumed that even today, nobody but him knew that there was a third pregnancy after Ricky, which was terminated for reasons Sharon didn't specify. He assumed it had something to do with Jack not wanting another child, or with Sharon not wanting to go through another pregnancy and childbirth on her own. Either way, Andy knew that Sharon was deeply scarred by her relationship with Jack and digging in those scars was putting a lot of emotional strain on her. "The answer is no. I haven't cheated on my ex-wife or on any of the other women I dated after my divorce. I also don't intend to do so in the future."

"And what's going to happen if the two of you ever break up?" Rusty asked.

"I believe that if we ever break up, then we will have to act like the grown-ups that we are so we can continue and work together efficiently. Otherwise, it would be a big mess." Andy replied.

"Okay," Rusty replied and shrugged. "Thank you, Andy. I appreciate your honesty about everything. It means a lot."

"No problem, kid. If you ever have any questions, feel free to come to me. As I said, I'm here for the long run. It's important for me that you know that aside from loving Sharon, I also love you. You've grown on me since you joined our ranks." Andy smiled at the boy. It was true. He had similar feelings for Rusty as he did towards his own children, much like Sharon did. He could tell by the tears that filled Sharon's eyes that his words meant a lot to her as well.

"Wow, um, thanks. I think I, um… like you too, Andy," Rusty stuttered. "I hope you'll be a better partner to Sharon than Jack was." His words made the color drain from Sharon's face. "I'm sorry, Sharon. I didn't mean to be unkind."

"It's alright, sweetheart. You asked important questions," Sharon replied. "And dinner was delicious. Thank you." She changed the subject, offering Rusty a soft smile. Getting up, she started to clear the dishes from the dinner table. "Andy, do you want dessert?" she asked as she placed the dishes in the sink.

"Sure," Andy replied and gathered some of the dishes that were left on the dinner table, carrying them to the kitchen and placing them on the counter next to the full sink.

"I'll handle dessert. Do you want coffee?" Rusty offered.

"Tea for me, herbal infusion, please," Sharon replied.

"I'll have the same," Andy said. Sharon folded the tablecloth and placed it in one of the kitchen drawers before she took Andy's hand and led him to the balcony. As soon as they walked through the balcony doors, she wrapped her arms around Andy's torso and rested her head in the middle of his chest. "You're having a terrible evening, I can tell," he said softly and kissed the crown of her head.

"I hate dwelling on those subjects," Sharon replied, her voice barely audible. "But thank you for being honest with Rusty. He appreciates honesty."

"I know, Sharon."

"And thank you for telling him you love him." She raised her head from his chest and looked deep into his eyes. "I don't think he can say it back yet, but he loves you too."

"I'm glad, Sharon," he said and felt her lips capturing his and drawing it into the warmth of her mouth. They heard steps behind them and drew apart.

"I'm sorry," Rusty said, and even in the darkness Sharon and Andy could see the blush that spread across his face.

"No, it's okay. We'll be less public with the shows of affection," Sharon said.

"It's kinda cute, actually," Rusty smiled and Sharon and Andy exchanged amused gazes.

"Cute?" Sharon smirked.

"You have tea and cake on the coffee table in the living room, or I can bring it here if you want." Rusty changed the subject.

"No, it's alright. We'll come in," Sharon replied.

"Okay. I'm going to bed. I have an early class tomorrow morning," Rusty said as he walked over to the older man and tentatively wrapped his arms around him, in what must have been the world's clumsiest hug.

"Thanks for the lovely dinner, Rusty," Andy said when Rusty pulled apart. "Have a good night."

"Good night, Andy. I hope you'll stay the night," he winked at Sharon mischievously before he leaned to give her a tighter hug. Andy couldn't help but chuckling when he saw Sharon's surprised expression after hearing Rusty's words.

"Night, honey," she said softly and caressed his shoulder before he left the balcony and went back into the condo. As soon as Rusty was out of sight, she turned back to Andy. "He thinks we're cute!" she flailed childishly. Andy's arms snaked around her waist and pulled her to him.

"We are cute, especially you," he said, glad to see her in a better mood. Sharon leaned back in his arms, trusting him to carry her weight without letting her fall.

"Stay the night?" she asked and her eyes widened as she waited for his response. Andy nodded slowly and pulled her for a kiss. For the first time that evening, all the worries and the tension that resided in Sharon's body during the evening gave way to a wave of utter serenity. She closed her eyes and gave in to the sensation of Andy's lips as he deepened the kiss. At that moment, she realized, she was many things: she was happy, she was calm, and she was excited. There was only one thing she wasn't; freaked out.

THE END

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 **As always, I'll be happy to know what you thought about this story, so feel free to leave a review or PM me.**


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